AFC Season Preview

The NFL Preseason is underway, and we are about a month away from meaningful football. Until then, we pray that injuries don’t hit our teams (real or fantasy). There’s nothing worse than knowing it’s over before it even begins. Right, Cleveland? Below I dive into every division in the AFC, and provide predictions for how the season will unfold. Please don’t revisit this post in January. Thanks.

AFC North
1. Steelers (11-5)
2. Bengals (8-8)
3. Ravens (6-10)
4. Browns (4-12)

The Steelers offense is just too dominate. Ben has had some issues playing on the road in recent years, but overall they will be able to outscore most teams. I think they will lose a game or two in embarrassing fashion, but come season’s end they’ll walk away with this division. The Bengals will continue to underwhelm, but I think we will see promising signs from their young talent in Joe Mixon and John Ross. They will be dangerous, but inconsistent.

The question “is Joe Flacco elite?” has been answered at this point. He’s on his way out the door, and he’ll struggle again this year. I just don’t think they will have enough offensive firepower to make a playoff push. The Browns have a ton of young talent, and I think in year or two they could be a playoff team. But first, they need Baker Mayfield to grow into a legit QB, and they have to move on from Hue Jackson.

AFC East
1. Patriots (12-4)
2. Dolphins (8-8)
3. Jets (5-11)
4. Bills (3-13)

The Patriots will win this division every year until Brady retires. That’s just a fact. We may see a few cracks in the armor, but the rest of the division is so weak, they won’t have any issue getting to 12 wins. The Dolphins will beat up on the Jets and Bills. They will flash at times, and I think this is finally the year DeVante Parker breaks out. They just won’t be consistent enough to be a playoff team.

The Jets and the Bills are going to blow. The Patriots will sweep them both, and the Dolphins will come close to it. They also play the NFC North, which will dish out a few more losses. The Bills may be the worst team in the league.

AFC South
1. Jaguars (12-4)
2. Texans (10-6)
3. Colts (9-7)
4. Titans (7-9)

This division is intriguing. The Jags are legit. That defense will absolutely smother teams. As long as they get (at least) mediocre play from Blake Bortles, they will be a contender. The Texans will be sneaky good. I think Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt will carry them into the playoffs.

The Colts will turn a corner, because Andrew Luck will be the comeback player of the year. They have serious questions on defense, but the run game will be improved, and they will fight for the 2nd Wild Card spot. The Titans are close, but Mariota will be a bit inconsistent and the rest of the division will be too good.

AFC West
1. Chargers (11-5)
2. Chiefs (10-6)
3. Raiders (8-8)
4. Broncos (6-10)

The race between the Chargers and Chiefs will be fun to watch. The Chargers will have great balance. The offense will be a force powered by Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen. The Defense will end up top 5 in the NFL. I think their schedule down the stretch will allow them to take the division. The Chiefs have Andy Reid and Kareem Hunt, so they will still be a good team. Patrick Mahomes will look good in Reid’s offense, but he won’t be the spark everyone expects. Alex Smith was a legitimate MVP candidate last year, and I just can’t see Mahomes stepping in at that level.

I’m not buying into Jon Gruden. That will go down as one of the worst contracts in NFL history. Carr will prove that he’s not in the upper tier of QBs, and the Raiders will be stuck in an Andy Dalton type situation for the next few years. The Broncos are really hard to project. If Case Keenum plays well, they could be a good team. In the end, I think the division will be too tough and Keenum won’t give them everything they need to get over the hump.

Playoff Picture
1. Patriots (12-4)
2. Jaguars (12-4)
3. Steelers (11-5)
4. Chargers (11-5)
5. Chiefs (10-6)
6. Texans (10-6)

The AFC turns out to be a pretty competitive conference. I don’t think the Steelers will find a way to win a big road playoff game, and like last year we will see a Patriots vs. Jaguars title game. I REALLY want to pick the Jags, but I just can’t do it. One more year of the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Boring pick, I know.
Check back for a NFC Preview and my Super Bowl prediction!